Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 21 · 2026-09-01

IELTS Writing Task 2 question

All university undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent studying abroad or doing a work placement.

Do you think the advantages of this would outweigh the disadvantages?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Student answer (Band 5.0)

Amongst the many major issues with downsides and plus points which individual have to deal with all universities undergraduate courses should include a period of time spent abroad or doing a work placement is being certainly considered as one of the most controversial ones.Some individuals fail for the advantage of this, while others who beg to differ.

On the one hand, a higher educational institutes should ingeniously generate a schedule in which pupils could prioritise their time in several way in order to acquire some benefits such as studying abroad and working placement.This methods not only gave them experience but also prepare learners for upcoming challenging situations.Moreover,there still other benefits obtained from the practice.All these advantages combine to make a strong case.

On the other hand, ther are obvious demerits and i would argue that positive aspects are outweighed by these drawbacks. One down side of this is that pupils will not take interest in academic career while discovering new destination out of country and if they join any employment during their study.They can not be progress better as before their occupation. In this consequences,learners would receive negitive results and their entire semester will go useless.Nevertheless,ther are numerous disadvantages cand be mentioned.

In conclusion, having looked at this topic in detail.It is clear that they both are right on their places but I strongly agree that institutes should involve physical activities such as working and studying in developed countries in their undergraduate program in order make their courses amazing, fascinating and encouraging

AI examiner evaluation

CriterionBand
Task Achievement / Task Response5.0
Coherence and Cohesion5.0
Lexical Resource5.0
Grammatical Range and Accuracy5.0
Overall5.0

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response addresses the prompt but lacks depth. While you state a position in the conclusion, the development of ideas is inconsistent. For instance, you mention that 'positive aspects are outweighed by these drawbacks' in the third paragraph, yet the conclusion contradicts this by stating you 'strongly agree' that institutes should involve these activities. This creates confusion regarding your actual stance. Furthermore, the arguments provided are quite general and lack specific examples or logical elaboration. To improve, ensure your position is clear from the introduction and maintained consistently throughout, and provide concrete examples to support your claims rather than relying on vague statements.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 5.0

The essay is organised into paragraphs, but the flow of ideas is frequently interrupted by awkward phrasing and unclear transitions. While you use some cohesive devices like 'On the one hand' and 'In conclusion', the internal logic within paragraphs is weak. For example, the transition between the benefits of studying abroad and the potential for 'negative results' is abrupt. Additionally, some sentences are fragmented or run-on, which hinders the reader's ability to follow your argument. To improve, focus on using linking words more effectively to connect ideas within sentences and ensure each paragraph has a clear, singular focus that supports your main argument.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.0

Your vocabulary is somewhat limited and often repetitive. You rely on basic terms and occasionally use words incorrectly, such as 'fail for the advantage' (likely meaning 'argue for') and 'In this consequences' (should be 'As a consequence'). There is also a lack of academic tone; phrases like 'make their courses amazing, fascinating' are too informal for an IELTS Academic task. To achieve a higher score, try to incorporate more precise, topic-specific vocabulary related to higher education and professional development, and focus on using collocations correctly to convey your meaning more naturally.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.0

There are frequent grammatical errors throughout the text that occasionally impede communication. Issues include subject-verb agreement (e.g., 'a higher educational institutes should'), incorrect word order, and missing articles. Punctuation is also problematic, with several run-on sentences and missing spaces after commas and periods (e.g., 'Moreover,there still other'). While you attempt some complex sentence structures, they are often inaccurate. To improve, focus on mastering basic sentence construction, ensuring subject-verb agreement, and proofreading for punctuation errors. Practising the use of complex sentences in isolation before integrating them into full essays will help you gain better control.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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